"Thank youverymuch, Elethenn," Adrathi chirped, clearly sensing that she was at an advantage."Your steamed buns are my favourite."
Standing by the bank of cabinets, Elethenn silvered a little more, and Sadin soon followed Adrathi's example with a much less chipperthank you.In the end, they decided it was best to split the bun in half, which had been my hope.Like always, it was a mad scramble to finish the last bites of breakfast and grab lunches and shove belongings into packs.Elethenn, for his part, had the kitchen tidied and the food put away and was waiting by the door, hands clasped behind his back, by the time I'd wrangled all the children into the front hallway and double-checked that they had their lunches and schoolbags and were wearing shoes.They were still tricky with shoes; Sadin said they made his feet sad.
I suspected their school might even encourage running around barefoot, but you didn't do that while walking around on a station, abaya or not.I opened the door and nudged the children into the semi-enclosed walkway that opened to a view of the boulevard down below.We made it all of three steps before Talvi screeched, horrified."I forgot myshow and share," they yelped, turning and bolting back into our home.
I sighed, stare drifting upwards, as if praying to my ancestors for patience in the same way Silver Sea had often done back at the complex.Although, really, my ancestors would probably hate everything about me, so I instead thought about Silver Sea's ketaari progenitors and wondered if they might take pity on a lowly human.Next to me, Elethenn let our a soft breath, amused.
"We're going to be late," Sadin said grimly, his hands holding the straps of his bag."Teacher Kekobu said that if we're late again –"
"Yeah, I know."There weren't fines for being late and the kids wouldn't be kicked out, but shehadthreatened to make an adult from Creche Thiel come in to volunteer during unstructured play time.And I assumed, because I was the one who usually took the children to school and had the bonus of being a human with a reputation for being good with kids, I'd be the lucky winner.Although now that we had more creche-mates, maybe I could foist that off on them.
I liked these three kids.I didn't know how I'd feel about a mob of them.Which other little gremlins had secret shrines to me?I could only hope that was a one-off.
"Our Sashen wouldliketo come visit," Adrathi said confidently, reaching up and taking my hand.
"I do love spending time with you," I deflected.Talvi came tumbling back out the door, slamming it shut – I winced; Avelthe hated sudden loud noises, and he'd been having headaches lately, not used to all the hustle and bustle of a busy creche – and we headed off to school.As we walked, Talvi chatted happily to Elethenn about what they'd brought to share with their classmates, and while I had a hard time following their happy monologue in abayan while Adrathi simultaneously peppered me with questions about the botanical gardens, Ididsee, with a flush of pleasure, that Talvi was proudly gesturing to the story I'd written for the children when I'd been in the Tournament.Elethenn listened seriously, nodding, and when Talvi reached up to take his hand when we finished trekking down the flights of stairs and reached the concourse, he didn't hesitate to take it in his own.
It was nice, I thought, seeing someone else fall in love with these children.It was particularly nice for someone like Elethenn, who had always struck me as lonely, even when I'd first stopped to chat with him about dumplings.
It was a short walk to school, along a pedestrian boulevard lined with clusters of low bushes and spikes of ornamental grasses.I listened to Adrathi's happy chatter, letting it wash over me in a comfortable wave.It was because I was watching Elethenn, Talvi still firmly holding his hand, that I noticed a hitch in his confident gait, a rapid stiffness straightening his shoulders.His head shifted suddenly, as if looking at something, and I followed his line of sight to a tea shop on the corner of the avenue.
Out front were several abaya, chatting quietly.My stare flicked over them, and I realized, with a hard twist deep in my gut, that I recognized one of them.
I pivoted, pulling Adrathi along and crossing the boulevard to the other side.Elethenn's head swung around, tracking my movement, and he followed suit, with a quick word to Sadin who happily turned and followed as well.Without saying anything, we cut down a narrow alley that ran behind an art gallery, arcing around the long way to the school.
"Why are we goingthisway?"asked Talvi.
I painted on a smile."I thought I saw a spider down here the last time I came through.You'd better be sure to look carefully!"
At once, the three children fell to whispered enthusiasm, burbling with excitement as their eyes grew extra wide.I cast a quick look behind us as we trekked down the length of the clean alley.No one.
"Sadin," I said once we drew near to the end, which would spill out close to the school, "take our Elethenn's hand."
"But –"
"Take Elethenn's hand," I said, in firm and imperative abayan.At once, Sadin turned and reached for Elethenn, who grasped the child's small hand in his own.
I was prepared, when we stepped out of the alley, to see Crozani of Creche Naival waiting for us – but instead, all I could make out was the school in the distance, with its the soft, organic-looking dome and the array of trees and bushes peeking up from behind the curving sandstone wall.Other children were galloping toward the school and converging on the grounds, various parents and care-givers talking idly as they nudged their little ones toward the waiting set of adults greeting each child by name.
"Alright," I said, drawing near to Elethenn as I looked carefully over the crowd once more."I think we're good."Which was fortunate, because at that moment, a brin child screeched Adrathi's name, and she dropped my hand and sprinted for the grounds just as the gentle chime reminding children it was time to be at school sounded.I smiled, incredulous and uncertain, as we watched them dash inside the school walljustin time to avoid another late arrival.
Their teacher, Kekobu, waved one talon-tipped wing at me, and I waved back before nodding my head at Elethenn as we stepped aside, the crowd of adults beginning to dissipate."Do you know Crozani of Creche Naival?"I asked, stepping in close so we could speak quietly."She almost followed me here one day."
Elethenn blinked, shaking his head once."No.But there were some familiar faces from Creche Hanalthi.Ones I would rather not see."
Hanalthi, his former creche, and the creche most heavily invested in security on station.I frowned."And do you think they saw us?"
"No," Elethenn said."And – you should not anticipate any problems, Sashen.It would only be… uncomfortable for me."
I didn't really care whyhedidn't want to see that particular group of abaya.I knew Elethenn could handle himself; he had shown his competence many times over.But I really didn't want Crozani to come anywhere near the kids.Araxis hadn't thought that she posed a real threat: as he'd explained, Creche Naival had to abide by the intermediary decision about the children, and the children had no value to them anyway now that they'd been raised by Creche Thiel.Whether or not that was true, I hadn't liked Crozani's sharp stare and I'd lived long enough to understand that sometimes people did illogical and vicious things when they were angry and felt wronged.
"However, to be cautious," Elethenn continued, quiet, "if you see the Naival again, tell me."He stopped, then added, "If you are so inclined."
It was a weird way to put that.I frowned, before remembering about sentence structure and what it meant about power dynamics.He had to soften any imperative sentences to assure that he didn't get too sinnenthi all over me.
After all, there was only one sinnenthi I wanted to be all over me.Even if he made me go out with a babysitter.
Regardless, I was ready to get the fuck out of Verdant Ward, where even a walk to an expensive school could turn into a whole political gauntlet of the who's who of Sozamia Station.I sent Araxis a quick message to let him know who we'd seen and then forcibly turned the Creche Thiel part of my brain off.
